I have a huge fondness for ice. The naughty ice cube trick my college roommate taught me. The ice the nurse wrapped up in a diaper for post-birth relief. The Ice I rubbed on my teething baby’s gums. The half melted glass of ice I crunched loudly during my first big fight with my husband. The ice in the water that helped me make a decent pie crust for the first time. The ice that clinks in my glass at the end of the day when the house is quiet and sleepy.

Blue Poppy Jewelry is created by pairing the beauty of fine metals with raw, organic elements from the earth. Each piece is created with a heartfelt compassion for life, love and nature. All elements of our jewelry are made within the United States with environmentally friendly choices made wherever possible.

The goal behind many of our pieces is to create stylish jewelry with a very subtle significance — jewelry that has a strong personal connection with the wearer without being obvious.

We, as mothers, sisters, wives, and friends, strive to create a line of fine jewelry for women…to honor those in our lives who mean the world. Enjoy!

In the UK, Glastonbury Festival is the biggest music festival, and in my opinion, the best as well! I have been going for years and now I’m lucky enough to live practically on its doorstep. If you haven’t been, it’s difficult to explain quite how fantastic, or to imagine how big it actually is. There are 150,000 tickets sold, the site takes up 1,100 acres and I’ve just counted 58 stages on the line-up! There are the main music stages, the dance village, the late night weirdness places, the kids’ field, the circus and theatre fields, but it’s the Greenfields where you’ll find the traditional vibes of the 1960s and 70s, and also where you’ll find the best handmade clothes. I’ll definitely be checking those out when I’m there.

However, whilst there is plenty of shopping to do at the festivals, it’s also good to be prepared before you go, so I’ve been busy scouring the internet for the best in festival wear. Essential number one for the summer of love look is the maxi dress. Ideally something light enough to pack and carry without taking too much space in your rucksack, and will embody the spirit of peace and love. This one by SLCSLC Fashion looks perfect to me.

The poncho. I love them! And they are so versatile. Fold in half and drape over your shoulders to stop them burning in the midday sun; roll it up to be a pillow in the tent; sit on it whilst watching bands to stop grass marks on the back of bare legs, and of course, wear for its purpose in the chilly evenings to keep you warm. (Also handily hides a belly after eating a festival burger!)

I could fill a whole post with pictures of fantastic handmade ponchos and shawls – there are so many to choose from. I do like applique though, so I finally picked this one by Malowane lnem to show you.

I can’t finish an article about festival clothing without mentioning the biggest essential of all: Wellies. Or wellington boots to give them their proper name. Readers from hotter climes may disregard this bit, however, for British festival-goers, these rubbery items of footwear are an absolute must. You may not need them, you may be one of the lucky few and experience a completely dry summer festival, but it is better to be safe than sorry; or you may end up like one of the several at Glastonbury ’97 with layers of bin bags tied round their ankles and up their legs – kept their feet dry yes, but their bottoms wet as they all slipped over in the mud.

Wellies aren’t really the easiest thing to make by hand, but you also don’t want to be in the same bog standard green boots as everyone else. More patterned ones are coming on the market, but in my experience they split really quickly. The perfect compromise is going for a normal, good quality pair of wellingtons that have been decorated. My kids painted swirls with glitter glue on theirs, but for some that are (arguably) more artistic, have a look at these by dianamhm.

I admit, I love Valentine’s Day. I know, I know. It’s a hallmark holiday; it’s a manufactured day to entice buyers back into stores after they’ve already maxed their limits over the holiday season in November and December; one shouldn’t need a day on which to show love to the people they hold dear. I know all the reasons we’re not supposed to support it. I just can’t help it. I still like it. And, I promise, that’s only partly because chocolate tends to be a heavy part of its celebratory traditions.

I’m the parent who, at the beginning of the school year, secretly hopes she’ll be put on Valentine’s Day party duty. I’ve had fun with the Halloween party, I always show my face at the holiday party, but the Valentine’s Day party is truly my favorite. I dream of fluffy, whipped, pink frosting atop cupcakes, red sugar sprinkles on cookies.

It’s one of the few days each year where I can cut-loose and fully embrace my inner girly-girly. I can admit that sometimes I like food — and even decor — that looks eerily like a bottle of pepto bismol threw up; I can tie packages up with frilly red bows; and, yes, I can show those dear to me I love them a little more thoroughly than I may remember to 364 others days per year. And you know, that just may not be all bad. Especially when the packages I am tying up contain some of the finest handmade and artisan gifts around; gifts that support small producers and their families so perhaps the love can flow through their homes too.

Haven’t picked a gift for your love yet? The clock is ticking, but there’s still time. Many Foodzie and Etsy sellers offer rush shipping options. Click over and get your shopping done now! Hedonistic Chocolate’s Raspberry Truffles, d’Lischka’s German-inspired cookies and Gauteau et Ganache’s Marshmallow hearts are just the tip of the iceberg.

Ask my children to clean something and it’s necessary to anchor yourself to the nearest door frame, lest you be blown away by the gale of whining. But put a poster board chart up on the wall with the promise of stickers for tasks finished and they knock each other over to Swiffer the family room.

In fact, I’ve discovered that stickers make manipulating children so much easier. Put a Dora the Explorer sticker on a banana and suddenly it’s super delicious. “Quick eat the brown, mushy part before Swiper swipes it! Swiper no swiping!” Put Barney on the toilet brush and they’re singing about how they love everyone while they clean the crapper.

But it occurred to me the other day that while placing chores like, “Clean your room”, “Use your manners” on a sticker reward chart was all well and good. I was thinking too small. Surely, there are far better things we can train our children up to do? We need to take advantage of this Pavlovian sticker training and create The Subversive Chore Chart.

Go out and buy yourself a big old sheet of poster board. Everything feels more official to a child if it’s on poster board. Remember when you used to get nervous because the teacher might write your name on the blackboard? Certain items possess magical qualities to children. Chalk, poster board, etc.

Make a big deal about drawing up the chart. Act as though you don’t want your children to see it. “Whatever you do DON’T come watch me make this chart!”

Now get yourself some stickers. There are two ways you can go with your adhesives. The sparkly over the top character stickers that burn your eyes. Or, my personal favorite, odd scratch and sniffs. My kids are out of their minds with curiosity as to which smelly sticker I’ll put on their chart next. The scratch and sniff horse stickers perhaps? Because who can resist a horse’s ass that smells like cotton candy? Not my kids. Scratch Santa children. What does he smell like? Credit card debt and peppermint.

Now have a glass of wine and really think about what you wish your children did or said during the course of the day. Not what you think they are supposed to do – what you wish they would do. Legally. Start filling in the blanks!

If I may suggest a few:

Ask mommy, “Have you lost weight?”

Claim to be fed only organic fruit picked by vegans wearing sandals made out of rope and newspapers while in public.

When daddy asks what you did today do not say “cartoons”.

Brag about mommy’s cooking while at Grandmas house.

Challenge daddy to a floor scrubbing match. “Dad, betcha can’t scrub this floor as fast as I can!”

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